From my one experience as a kid, I'd say, go for a very young kitten (8 weeks old) who will grow up with the Golden. We also had an orange tabby (really almost red) who was just the best cat. He came to use when he was 8 weeks old, and our Golden was 14 months old. They became good friends, and the cat was SO social and affectionate. If the doorbell rang and the dog ran to the door, the cat would run to the door, too. He always hung around with us, and would go from lap to lap. Great cat. He was an SPCA special. :smile2:

 

I agree with going with a rescue that has foster homes if you want particular characteristics. They know their fosters and will match you with a cat that will be a good fit with your situation.

Here are my two from a rescue that uses my shop as an adoption site. They are wonderful cats and true to their fosters' assessment of them. They both fit right in with my family.

 

Balinese, male, either blue or lilac point.

 

That looks just like my mom's Balinese, Howie, that she had when I was little. Beautiful cat. He hated my dads and us kids but he sure loved my mom.

 

Ragdolls are great. Very comical and laid back cats.

 

You might look at a Manx. My sister has two and they are amazingly affectionate with people and dogs.

 

We rescued an 8 week old Siamese six years ago. I think she thinks she is one of the dogs. Very personable.

Maine ***** are supposed to be the golden retriever of the cat breeds, but mine is stand offish and has never adjusted to the dogs, but I think it is because the breeder I bought her from had a young GSD that would chase her - she was the last kitten left. My neighbors had one, and he was part dog.

I have had Himalayans, too, and they were very attached to me. I loved them.

 

I've had many cats through my life. All came to me as a kitten but one. Old Jake was a feral cat my mom cared for,,,,came for meals and took off over the course of a few years. The kittens were wonderful, didn't matter which sex or color. I've have found the younger you get them the better. In my opinion go to a local shelter and pick out whichever you like the best and take it home. Handle the cat alot....holding and petting. They are wonderful loving pets!

 

I was also going to put a vote in for tabbies
My father had a mackerel tabby who played fetch with a toy mouse. We have a ginger tabby, they always seem so mellow and sweet.
Our 17 yr old calico has always been a bit finicky with the other cats, but dog and people friendly. .

 

I think in general boy cats are more outgoing than female cats. We are fans of the orange tigers (as Rbernet said mostly males). Our two blonde cats have warmed up to other dogs and people very quickly.

 

If you go the rescue route, get a kitten that can grow up with your dog. In my experience, tabbies, particularly orange ones (who are generally males - like calicos are females), are pretty affectionate.

We've had 5 cats together (not all at one time) and they've all been very affectionate - and I think it's a lot of how they are raised. My original tabby, is the one that made my non-cat loving BF like cats. I've had two tabbies and two calicos and one turkish van.

 

Years ago I used to breed and show Persian cats. I actually started with Persians because they reminded me of golden retrievers which is what I really wanted. When I sold my kittens it was always the wife who wanted a cat. The husband actually wanted a dog but was along for the ride. Usually three days after the kitten went home the husband would ring and the conversation was always the same. "This kitten is not like a cat at all, it is just like a dog. We love it".

One of my breeding queens was a great retriever. We used to throw a plastic peg across the room and she would race after it and bring it right back to us. When she got tired of the game she would jump up on the kitchen bench and put the peg in my handbag. When I came home from work she would be straight into the handbag to collect her peg and start the game.

" Really looking for a cat that is social, affectionate, playful, seeks human approval/attention" Quote - This made me laugh, cats never seek human approval!

 

LOL! Sorry, my bad, you're right! I know that too, I just meant more an affection/attention seeking cat.

 

If you go the rescue route - you want to talk to the foster. They usually are able to tell you a lot about the cat's personality.

 

We have a very sweet, social rescue cat (hopefully we'll be adding a golden retriever brother or sister to our little family in the near future). Before we had him, we had another cat, who was also very sweet and social (he unfortunately passed away from a disease he caught at the shelter as a kitten). Before getting the first cat (I've always been a dog person and never had cats before that), I read a tip somewhere online that if you're looking for a social cat and you're looking into kittens, find the kitten that purrs when you pick it up. It'll be almost, if not immediate. Both of our cats "chose us". The first purred constantly and immediately as soon as we walked by his cage. The second crawled into our laps and started purring as soon as he was allowed out of his cage. So far, this strategy has worked perfectly for us and people are constantly commenting on how our cats think they're dogs (both of them have even been OBSESSED with playing fetch).

 

My amazing, patient, cuddly, dog loving cat originally came to me as a tiny feral kitten. He's helped me raise 3 puppies and dozens of foster kittens. He helps give them all baths I'm biased, but fond of the shiny black cats.

 

I wouldn't waste money on a purebred cat. They're not usually bred for a purpose or personality, so it seems like you get a lot more variety. It's hard for shelters to really learn a lot about a cat when it spends up to 20 hours a day in a cage. I think your best bet would be to find a rescue that works with foster homes. I've fostered cats and kittens several times over the last 2 years. They live in the house, like a part of the family, so you get to know them much more than a shelter ever could. All my favorite cats have been rescues